Across the Stars
by Teller of Chronicles
Summary: Alternate story to KH2. What happens if Sora had to sleep for an additional 4 years for his memories to be restored, and the XIII Order takes advantage of his absence? What if Sora has to become allies with his worst enemies? AN-Ch 1 and 2 Replaced!
1. Time

**Across the Stars**

**by Teller of Chronicles **

Disclaimer Info- Kingdom Hearts, Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 2 do not belong to me. Neither do Stargate (SG-1 and Atlantis), Final Fantasy 7, Rurouni Kenshin, or any other copyrighted material in the story.

**Chapter 1- Time**

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"**Have you ever met him?"**

"**No. Why?"**

"**The reports from Castle Oblivion have finally been decrypted. They say he looks just like you. I myself can vouch for it, having fought him once at Hollow Bastion before. Are you sure you don't know him?"**

"**I am not aware of any relation between me and a keyblade wielder. There is no way we could be related."**

"**No, no. Of course not. Speaking of Castle Oblivion, **_**they're**_** interested in it. They're sending an important member there."**

"**The Silent Hitokiri's group is tracking him?"**

"**Them. The great king Mickey is bringing his lapdog there. I'm not sure how he survived his fight with you."**

"**Likewise, I was sure I got rid of him before destroying our old base."**

"**Don't worry. I'll take care of them for you. Meanwhile… Roxas."**

"**Yes, my lord?"**

"**Bring your fleet to the set location. We're taking Hollow Bastion."**

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In Castle Oblivion, a figure in a red cloak stood by a window, staring out over the plains surrounding the building. His eyes stared at the dark skies with shining stars, as his mind wandered to the events of the recent years.

He was pulled from his contemplations by the sound of wind blowing through the citadel he stood in. Turning, he watched as an egg of darkness materialized from thin air, weaving itself into the corner of the room. He continued to watch with indifferent eyes as another figure with fiery hair stepped out of the shadows, this time wearing a black cloak.

The newcomer cast off his hood, allowing his hair to blow in the breeze as he stared at the first figure. He allowed a brief grin to appear, before dropping on bended knee before the first figure, waiting for him to speak.

The man in red sighed before speaking to the man before him.

"Axel, what brings you here? I thought you were with Zexion."

"He's resting right now. I'm here to report that our monitors indicate an increased activity within the room. They're waking up. The five years are drawing to a close now."

"I see. Axel, my friend. You're very tense. What else troubles you?"

"I'm worried that the barrier will fall prematurely sir. We didn't expect such a large build up of forces over the years."

"Don't worry about that, it will hold. I have taken precautions to ensure that it will prevail. In the mean time, we need to make preparations for the arrival of our guests. Please make it urgent. I cannot predict when the Order will land forces to try and capture Sora."

"Understood, I will let Zexion know immediately. Who are we expecting?"

"The king, and his friend."

"Oh, I was thinking someone else. Hey, speaking of the king, do you think he'll recognize you, DiZ? Or should I call you-"

"Don't call me by **that** name yet! It's been defiled by that creature. If 'creature' is even the correct label for it. Anyways, do not dare call me by that name, Axel. Until I take down the rest of the Order, I cannot redeem the name."

"Heh. I understand. But it's quite ironic really. The King of Radiant Garden originally dived into darkness but now, he's fighting it."

A sigh was heard, and Axel lifted his face in surprise to look at DiZ. He couldn't see DiZ's face, but the indifference in his eyes had cracked, showing a hint of worry.

"Axel, do you think we can stand a chance?"

"Of coure DiZ. I still believe in my king's ability to protect his people."

"Yes, I hope that Mickey will send Riku and Sora away when the Heartless come."

"Now you've lost me."

"Sora and Riku hold the very key to the survival of this universe. Even if Mickey falls to the Heartless, Sora will still get his key, because his heart has grown stronger. It's strong for such a young boy. Anyways, times are going to get rough. I have a feeling that since there's fewer Order members left, they're going to send the lower ranking members to try and beat Sora and Riku first."

"Makes sense. The Superior wouldn't want to risk his life on them. Then one of the first will be Resxeth. That may be a hard battle for them, you know? Sending one of the stealthier ones? Disregard the fact she's really new, she's still an enemy to take seriously."

"I have faith in their abilities. Besides, depending on how quickly Sora and Riku lock the worlds, you and Zexion will have an easier time hiding. Although how you'll explain surviving the fight with me will be interesting. You recall your 'death', right?"

"Yea, don't remind me of that. If I could feel pain, I would still be screaming. Let's go get Zexion now, shall we? It seems like it's time for the party to get started."

Axel rose, and with a quick nod to DiZ, turned back, and walked into the warp, sending him back to where he came from.

DiZ started to walk before he turned back to the field.

"Indeed. It is time for fate to run its course. The past decades have led up to this conflict. For such events to be forced upon such young men… fate is indeed a cruel mistress. Sora, Riku, I will monitor your growth and help you as you need."

With that, he turned and walked out the door of the room, into the shadows of the hallway.

----------

Sephiroth stared around, and could do nothing but mentally groan, a gloved hand trying to massage away what he hoped was a hallucination. He had been visiting Hollow Bastion for the past year, scouring through the library of Ansem the Wise for information.

Nothing violent about it, and after what he had been through, that seemed like a welcome escape. So off he went, bidding good-bye to his travel mates of five years, and setting off to Hollow Bastion. The year had passed by pretty peacefully, other than the occasional ruffian trying to steal his only possession, his sword.

And then, there was a simple case of Murphy's Law at work. He had been hoping for no fighting during his stay at the bastion, but where was he? The number one dangerous world in that area of the galaxy. Rumors (coincidentally, these rumors were what drew him to the city) had it that the Heartless had originated on that world.

Subconsciously, he knew that he would face some resistance sooner or later. That's why he had brought his trusty nodachi. What he hadn't been expecting was a full-fledged army to come crashing down from the sky all of a sudden, a flying armada punctuating the sudden return of the Heartless.

The reaction from the city was immediate. The residents who had returned after the keyblade master had his merry adventure through the citadel some six years ago immediately started implementing evacuation procedures. Namely, to run and hide wherever they could. Having no defense, they turned to the only armed person in the entire population. Him.

And so, here he was, standing in front of the gate that went around the city. Just him and his sword… versus a couple hundred thousand- no wait, make that nearly a million Heartless of all variations.

Convinced that the dull rumble was from the approaching army and not a pounding headache, Sephiroth slowly checked his equipment and preparing himself mentally. As the Heartless drew nearer, they slowed down, staring at the single silver-haired obstacle before them.

With a sudden roar, Sephiroth lashed out, catching the first row of Heartless by surprise. He danced his way under flying projectiles and blades, his single wing unfurling as he continued to cut a swathe in the sea of black.

And thus began the Battle of Hollow Bastion.

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_AN- So. Revised chapter 1. Hope it's better._

_Reviews would be great. Flames are welcome, because I won't pay much attention to pointless flame. If it's a critique however, those are more than welcome._

_Hopefully this revised version will set the tone better, and of course the time. Well, the overall tone, minus the ending bit with Seph. That, I wrote late at night, so I tried to add in a bit of dry humor. I'm betting that failed._

_After revising some things for… later plot points, I realized that I would have to edit these older chapters. _

_As I said in my profile, I'll probably continue working, albeit a lot slower. I'll try to improve my quality, but I can't guarantee too much, being bad with language._


	2. Fall of the Bastion

**Across the Stars**

**by Teller of Chronicles **

Disclaimer Info- Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. Neither do Stargate (SG-1 and Atlantis), Final Fantasy 7, Rurouni Kenshin, or anything else used as a crossover in the story. However, some stuff does belong to me. Story line, various ideas here and there (to be seen in a later chapter, I'll let you know then), some characters are OC and are therefore mine. I guess if you continue reading you'll see what's original and what's fanfic.

Anyways. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 2- Fall of the Bastion**

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"**Roxas. Report your status."**

"**More than half the bastion has been taken."**

"**What of the remainder? You told me this would be an easy mission."**

"**We have encountered several problems, first of which was the Tau'ri ship that was able to launch a volley of projectile based weapons before jumping away as we approached. It was only a single ship though, so we sustained minimal damage. Our fleet is at 89 strength still."**

"**I see. What else?"**

"**There's the half-Wraith decimating our ground forces."**

"**I see. Why is he there? Wasn't he last seen at Olympus Coliseum?"**

"**We're not sure of the reason for his appearance nor his affiliation. He could have arrived with the others."**

"**What others?"**

"**We're not sure yet. Preliminary reports from our Elites have trickled in saying four men have arrived through the gate. Their power is beyond that of any Heartless with us. If they were tracking our fleet, the Resistance miscalculated where we would be and is only now responding to our presence."**

"**Their success matters not. When I have the keybearers' heads on a platter, I expect no opposition to stand."**

"**Understood. What of the keybearers' status?"**

"**Some of our deployed ninja have been tracking the king and his accomplice in the direction of Castle Oblivion. Estimated time of arrival is three hours."**

"**I wish we still had Axel. If he didn't die, he would be ready to intercept the weakened bearer when the magic barrier falls."**

"**This is no time to reminisce or mourn his loss. My team will have to suffice."**

"**Agreed. They will be of no match to your combined might. Roxas out."**

----------

The next line of Heartless stood no chance, his blade easily cutting through their armor. Sephiroth ducked, a weapon cutting the air he had occupied moments ago.

Stabbing forward, he impaled the assailant, a new breed of Heartless he hadn't encountered. On its head it donned a helmet, similar to the kind that Soldier Heartless wore, but the front visors were sealed shut, vertical slits allowing the yellow gleam of the eyes to shine. On its arms were metal guards, ending in leather gloves. Out of these gloves protruded dangerous claws, the sunlight reflecting off the edges.

Looking down, he observed that the legs had on more metal guards and metal boots. On its chest it bore a metal breastplate, the Heartless Crest sewn into the armor. Screaming in pain, it flailed its arms, creating a large gash on his arm. In reflex, he drew his arm back, his sword ripping through the Heartless.

Jumping out of reach of scratching claws, Sephiroth drew back the hand that wasn't carrying the sword, light brimming from it. Touching his wounded arm, he healed it while fending off Heartless, the wounds disappearing. He continued to slash at Heartless as seemingly endless amounts of them kept charging at him from all directions. His other hand, was continually blasting off a magic attack of some nature, striking down some Heartless.

The new breed of Heartless had incredible speed and reaction. Their metal guards withstood blows from his sword as they leaped around, slashing and dodging his sword. On the ground, they moved with a speed that nearly rivaled his own. Luckily they couldn't change positions quickly enough if they were in mid-jump.

The flying Heartless proved different. They were surprisingly agile as they flew around, some dancing around the path of his blades, and others swooping in to scratch at Sephiroth. Other new breeds of Heartless also graced his presence with attacks of all kinds, proving to be little match for him despite what seemed to be enhancements in agility and strength.

As he continued to slice through waves and waves of the invasive Heartless, he was surprised by the appearance of beings in black cloaks, walking out of what seemed to be an egg of darkness. While a few held back, most vaulted over lines of the monsters, and upon landing, charged him.

He was surprised at their dexterity, as one seemed to almost materialize in front of him, kunais held in both hands. Instinctively, his empty hand shot out, casting Barrier as the figure flung out both hands, sending a rain of kunais hurtling towards him.

Rewarded with a magic wall halting the barrage, Sephiroth readied himself and stabbed through the wall, impaling the person as they gathered more kunais. When no heart floated out, as he was accustomed to with Heartless, he hesitated for a moment.

Too long.

One of the clawed Heartless, a "NeoSoldier" as he dubbed them, had taken advantage of his hesitation and grazed his arm with its extended claws. With a quick slash, he dispatched of the annoying creature, as well as another cloaked figure landing in his sword's path. Looking up to assess the situation, he mentally groaned when he saw that the attacking army seemed to only grow, not shrink.

----------

They ran and flew among the city sewers, looking for an entrance to the city. As they turned around a corner, one would lash out with a sword, notching the wall to mark their path. As they continued, their eyes finished adjusting to the dark sewers, as it was a large contrast from the room they came from.

Because it was within the city walls, or at least according to the schematics they had been shown, no Heartless had yet appeared in the sewers. Although that was a very relieving fact, they were still alarmed at the presence of black cloaked figures among the corridors. Silently and swiftly killing them, one pervasive thought was on their minds.

The XIII Order was behind this attack. And they had been unprepared.

They increased their speed as their worries begun to grow. They fervently hoped that not too many had arrived to take the city, or no there would be no chance to save the city with their make-shift team.

The leader flipped up a commwatch, revealing a worried face of an acquaintance.

"Report your status."

"The Order beat us here, Natre. Looks like this was their next destination after all. We couldn't do anything."

"Shoot. You know what to do then. Standard evacuation procedure."

"Secure the gate and evacuate the people."

"Exactly. I've been in contact with the Tau'ri ship _Daedalus_. By chance, they were there when the Order attacked, so they were able to alert the rest of the Resistance.

While they had to pull back, they've brought to my attention the presence of an ally on ground at Hollow Bastion. They assure me that there is no way their comrade can be defeated, and even though he doesn't know it, he'll be of help to you since he has made acquaintances with the local folk."

"How will we know who it is?"

"You'll know. Don't worry. I'm told he's a rare person indeed. He's the only person with one wing."

"You don't mean…"

"The esteemed Sephiroth? Of course I do. He's on Hollow Bastion, and you want to rendezvous with him ASAP."

----------

Sephiroth cursed mentally, one incident of many in the past two hours, as he found himself away from the city gates he was trying to defend. Turning to rush back, he was thrown to his feet as the gates disintegrated in an explosion. Fighting off the surging Heartless, Sephiroth got up, stunned to see only a gaping and charred hole where the gate had once stood. Like water in a breached dam, the Heartless surged through the opening of the defenses, sweeping through the ruins and the surrounding town and racing towards the castle in the middle.

In an uncommon burst of rage, he let out a roar before slashing wildly. His other hand continued to fire off a plethora of spells, the effects ripping through the Heartless and beings that had warily surrounded him. Slowly, he made progress back to the breached walls.

Sephiroth hadn't experienced any magic casting enemies yet, so when a wall of water shot up around him as he approached the walls, enclosing him, his rage subsided. It was instead replaced with a curiosity, mixed with a pinch of dread, at who the new enemy would be.

The wall collapsed onto him, drenching him and slowing his movements. A single figure stood in front of him while the rest made a circle, continuing on to their goal. From the figure's stature, he could tell it was a female. She swung a blue chain in her hands, with a large shuriken attached to the end.

"My, my, what a powerful enemy we have here," a feminine voice spoke from beneath the hood. "A long fight with you would be a wonderful match, don't you think? But the Superior can't have a person like you impeding his conquest of this castle. So… how would you like to go out? With a quick slash? Or maybe a slow death by drowning? Tell me, which situation do you like?"

"How about the one where I get to kill you?"

"Tch, I'm afraid I can't take that answer. I guess I'll have to pick myself."

She threw out her shuriken, the chain stretching behind it. As the chain seemed to end, water condensed from the air to form more links of the chain. Sidestepping the flying weapon, Sephiroth brought his sword down on the chain, abruptly altering its flight, wrapping the blue steel around his sword. With a quick tug, he pulled his opponent, causing her to lose balance and trip in his direction. Twisting his sword, he broke the wrapped chains and leaped at her, sword flashing.

His sword met a wall of water instead of flesh. Only a small matter, because the force of his blow knocked her further behind him. Giving her only a momentary glance, he flew back towards the town. He didn't need another distraction.

----------

She lay where she was, groaning with pain from the force of impact. Looking back up, she glanced the hood of another member, arm stretched to pick her up. She gladly took the hand, sitting up to view the castle again.

She turned to face her chuckling friend. In his two hands he held keyblades similar to the Keyblade Master's. In a debriefing once, she had heard the names "Oathkeeper" and "Oblivion" thrown out regarding the names of the blades.

She didn't know who first brought him to the group, but among the ones left when she had joined, he was by far one of the more experienced. Roxas. Such a fright, honestly. She could never tell what he was thinking.

"Beaten in two strokes. That's a sad display of our prowess, don't you think?" sighed Roxas.

"Stow it," she grumbled. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her sore ribs. "He took me by surprise. And I'm still not used to my powers. I didn't quite finish my training after Demyx was killed."

Roxas chuckled before turning away, staring at the city. "Have to watch out for that, Resxeth. Plenty of enemies will use surprise to attack you. And they'll try to take advantage of your lack of experience. Anyways, let's go. Can't just sit here moping over a quick defeat, can we? You'll get your fun soon enough."  
"Fine… but I'm going to beat the life out of him next time I see him."

Getting up, she quickly thanked Roxas, before running toward the city. He stayed behind momentarily, watching her retreating form, before glancing behind at two other figures who had appeared. The figures nodded as they took out weapons. One wielded two guns, while another wielded a katana. They looked to the leader for instructions. Sighing, Roxas waved them to the city before dashing off. Silently, they fell in line behind their speeding leader.

----------

It was hopeless, Sephiroth thought. He couldn't find signs of anyone in the castle or in the town. He could only hope that they had found safety.

He cleared the room of Heartless with a quick slash, before leaping out the window, landing amidst a crowd of Heartless. As he was about to slash, the Heartless disappeared in a bright flash. Stunned, he stared at his source of aid. He certainly had not been expecting anyone to stand and fight.

It was a person he didn't recognize from the town. _'That answers why I didn't expect him.' _Sephiroth thought as he looked over his new acquaintance.

He was dressed in blue clothing, brown sandals adorning his feet. From the looks of the sword in his hand, the man was quite competent in combat. A bright smile lit his face, and he looked to Sephiroth as he pushed brown hair out of his eyes.

"Ah, Natre was correct. You are indeed a worthy opponent of the Heartless. An ally like you can only be dreamed of."

Sephiroth continued to stare at him. This young man had appeared out of nowhere, and had single handedly taken out a group of Heartless. And, he seemed to know of him. Just who was he? The person smiled to him while sidestepping a Heartless. With a quick slash, the Heartless was destroyed. Realizing he had stopped, Sephiroth continued to fight the hordes, all the while talking to the mysterious man.

"You would be?"

"Soujirou. Seta Soujirou. I'm with the Resistance."

"The Resistance? I'm not aware of this group."

"We are fighting the Order. When the Order appeared on Hollow Bastion, a small group of us were sent to counter the forces sent. We did not expect such a large force."

"Tell me about it. What happened to the people of the town?"

"Himura brought them to the planet's stargate."

"Stargate?!" In mid-swing Sephiroth stopped to turn to Soujirou. "Why did no one tell me there was a gate on Hollow Bastion?!" He turned back around, rashly slashing out at leaping Heartless and beings. "If I had heard of a Stargate, we could all have been off this God-forsaken rock earlier!"

"I do not believe they understood the importance of the gate. It is after all in the underground sewers. They must not have viewed it important enough."

"Doesn't matter. Let's get out of here! We're obviously no match to the Heartless. And whatever these other things are."

"Nobodies."

"What? What are these Nobodies you speak of? Are those the beings in cloaks?"

"That is correct. When a Heartless is created, the body that is cast off becomes a Nobody. . In our years, we have encountered many forms, but the most common form seems to be what are called 'Elites', the beings in black cloaks. Here, let me clear the path to the gate. Shukuchi!"

With a flash, Soujiriou was gone. He could see where Seta had traveled, because Heartless and Elites fell apart under a flurry of strikes, and explosions of dust flew up into the air wherever his feet landed. He flew along, his long sword slicing any of the monsters Soujirou had left behind in his rush.

As they reached the entrance to the sewers, he looked up when he heard the sound of explosions above him. Looking up, he could make out two figures in the sky, near a tower, fending off against the aerial Heartless and gummi ships. One wore an orange and blue fighting gi, while the other was wearing a blue spandex suit.

They had immense power, a single punch or kick instantly destroying Heartless. What amazed him even more was the occasional energy beam they shot off from their hands, which seemed to clear a section of the sky of Heartless. As the sky grew clearer for brief moments, Sephiroth could make out a larger ship in low orbit over the city. Hundreds of gummi ships traversed in and out of the ship as it seemed to descend upon the city.

Soujirou stopped momentarily from slashing Heartless to shout at the two beings in the sky.

"Goku! Vegeta! I found him. We need to get out now!"

The two figures turned and flew towards their position, quickly blowing through the Heartless.

With a short greeting to Sephiroth, they flew into the sewers and into the dark corridors. Sephiroth continued to slash at the Heartless and Nobodies as they took advantage of the absence of the two fighters.

"Sephiroth, let us continue." He acknowledged Soujirou, and with one final glance around the planet he had called home for four months, dashed into the sewers, quickly followed by Soujirou.

After running for what seemed to be hours, with Soujirou turning to slash at chasing monsters, Sephiroth turned a final corner to reach the Gate rooom.

Chaotic could be used to describe the scene that was before him, but to merely describe it as chaotic would be a gross understatement.

Before him stood the circular, stone gate. Because of a time limit he vaguely remembered McKay mentioning to him months ago, he noticed that the gate was unactivated for the moment. Within the seven teal lights adorning the gate, he could make out the Ancient symbols being flashed in gold.

All throughout the room, residents of the city were standing around, huddled and scared, some calling out for family members not present. Easy targets for the Heartless that slowly trickled into the room. Soujirou immediately got to work, slashing away at Heartless that threatened the populace.

More of the Heartless seemed to be concentrating around a corner of the room rather than attacking the people. Looking over his shoulder, Sephiroth saw that a dialing device occupied that corner, and that it was in use.

He turned to the person at the circular dialing device. He wore magenta and white clothing similar to the style of Soujirou's. He bore a cross-shaped scar along his left cheek, and his fiery hair was tied into a ponytail. What struck Sephiroth as most odd about the person was the sword he held in his hand. It was reverse sided, with the blade on the opposite side of the sword.

The man stood at the dialing device, what McKay had called a DHD, and with an almost surreal grace kept on pushing buttons while his other hand swung around, knocking aside Heartless that had tried to jump him.

Soujirou called out to the person as he continued slashing at the ever-following Heartless.

"Himura! We must evacuate now!"

Himura Kenshin, the person at the gate, nodded to Soujirou, before continuing to punch in buttons on the panel. With each press, a light would flash gold and a symbol would become emblazoned in black.

Sephiroth recalled McKay saying that the lights, or a chevron, would need to light up, indicating that the gate was "dialing" to another planet and locking into the position. He had given up trying to understand the physics that McKay had explained, saying that as a fighter, he would have no need for such knowledge, only the means to complete his objectives. _'No need for knowledge. Yea, right.'_

With the final chevron, the gate activated, a jet of blue shooting out, before drawing back into the gate. The remaining people were in awe of the shimmering surface of the gate. As Goku and Vegeta beckoned them in, Kenshin ran to where Sephiroth and Soujirou were making a final last stand.

"Ah, so this is Sephiroth. It is good to meet you."

"It is good to meet you too. If I may inquire, what is your sword? I have never seen a sword that has a reverse blade."

"This is a sakabatou. It was forged by a famous smith from the world we come from. I wield it to adhere to my promise not to kill people."

"Promise not to kill?" Sephiroth paused to glance at Kenshin, before parrying a strike and slashing.

"It is a long story. I shall explain when we have the time. Would you like to come with us? We can introduce you to others. There are people who have wanted to meet you."

With that, Sephiroth cast Barrier, blocking other Nobodies and Heartless from entering the gate room momentarily. Turning around, the trio then ran and dashed through the gate, quickly followed by Goku and Vegeta. As the spell faded and enemies swarmed into the room, the gate deactivated, leaving the room void of any target.

A portal appeared and four figures stepped out. The first figure took a look around, and sneered.

"They retreated without much of a fight."

Another figure stepped forward, his katana out.

"Shall we order our troops to destroy the city?"

The lead figure, Roxas, turned around and struck the speaker in the head with the hilt of his keyblade. The other figure fell over, clutching his head. As he slowly got up, he glared at Roxas before cringing as he was lectured.

"Destroy it? You idiot! Hollow Bastion is to be our new base of operations, just as it was Xemnas'! Now, let's go clear out the city of any last remaining people, and settle into the city. I think that's a task you'll be competent enough in."

The figures then walked off, one of them holding his head.

----------

"Hey Zex. Zex, come on. Zexion, get up already!"

He felt hands pushing him as he lay prone where he had fallen in his fatigue. He groaned as light hit his eyes for the first time in days. As his sight returned, he lay there, trying to remember what had happened. He felt disoriented as he saw a face with red hair appear over him, grinning at his prone form. Hands were brushing gray hair out of his eyes, as he tried to put a name with a face.

"Need more sleep, Zexion? I could always get another of Vexen's bots to sap your energy again, if that'll help."

His nightmare flashed before his eyes, as he finally matched the red hair he saw to the ones from his continuing nightmares. He could still remember the pain, as the Riku Replica had sapped his energy six years ago, his friend throwing a quick glance of remorse over his shoulder before walking out. He sat up quickly, grabbing his friend's neck.

"Axel! _Don't_… do that again!"

"Relax, relax. You were having a nightmare again. Awww, is baby Zex still scared of the scawy Replica?" Axel's face grew into a look of mock worry, to which Zexion replied with… nothing. Momentarily. Remember, he just woke up.

"Hey!"

"Just kidding, just kidding. You know I wouldn't have done it if I had a choice. I had to do it without warning so the Superior would believe you're dead. And that I took justified actions to try and get rid of Riku. I took enough so it would make it appear that way, but not enough so that Riku would actually lose. We wouldn't want that obviously.

Besides, now you can travel without him knowing where you are, and I can act as a diversion with the keybearers. Hey, you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I guess. Been fatigued ever since then. Can't really use my book as well, but I've been working on it."

"Oh come on, it wasn't that much. Unless you really are a weakling."

"Hey! Watch it."

"Just kidding again. I used to joke around like that with Roxas, up until the time that we started bringing in more members… Then he became so lifeless, always ordering others around and taking more and more authority."

Zexion looked, and saw that in Axel's eyes, a glaze seemed to form as he reminisced about their time in the Order.

"You still angry over that?"

"Not really, but he doesn't know who Sora is in relation to him, does he?"

"I doubt it. The Superior's manipulations have succeeded."

"That's terrible. He doesn't know what Sora's death will do to him… Oh well… they're both in league against DiZ. I wish Roxas would just listen to us though…"

The glaze in Axel's eyes disappeared, and he turned to Zexion, his quintessential grin in place.

"Hey, Zexion. Got enough energy to get yourself ready? We got some guests coming over. We have to spruce up the place and then help them get in. Got it memorized?"

Zexion grinned at Axel's usual behavior, before a dark portal opened up, engulfing him. When the portal disappeared, Axel turned and walked off to another room, summoning flames into his hands.

"Guess that's a yes. Guy never gives me a straight answer."

----------

"So, why are we back in this area again?"

King Mickey turned to look up at Riku's tall figure. In the dark nighttime sky around Castle Oblivion, it was hard to see his face, especially behind the hood he wore, but Mickey knew his friend was tensing up.

"Sora's going to come out of stasis soon. We want to meet him, don't we? Better us than the Order." Mickey looked back to the path they were walking on.

"Yea, but… He's not going to recognize me."

Startled, Mickey looked back up.

"Of course he will! You're-" He stopped when Riku raised his hand to stop him.

"No. He'll recognize me. But not the way I hope he will."

"Give him time! I'm sure he'll know who you are soon! Sora doesn't take people at face value."

"Haha. Thanks for the support, Mickey. But I know he won't."

Mickey was about to answer with a retort and push Riku for more answers, but decided against it. Riku was troubled enough as it was. He had been ever since his solo reconnaissance mission to _The World That Never Was_, but not even Mickey knew what happened. Yuuko had hinted at something, but wouldn't divulge further.

Mickey shook his head. He couldn't worry about that now. He was about to reunite with his friends after… how many years? Six, at least. A smile lit up the mouse's face, and he could tell that Riku noticed, because he became noticeably more relaxed.

They stopped when they crested the next hill along the dust path. A little bit down the path stood a witch in a white dress. Her eyes stared at them, worry and fear being shown. They gave each other a quick, puzzled glance, before dashing down the path, shouting a name.

"Naminé!"

"Hello, Mickey. Hello, dark one."

Mickey felt pity in his heart as he could feel Riku cringe at what she called him. It was momentary, as Riku straightened up, looking at the friend he had made five years ago.

"Naminé! What are you still doing here? Don't you know that the Order might still be after you?"

She ignored Riku's second question and answered the first by turning and pointing in the direction of Castle Oblivion, seen in the distance. They followed her finger, to see smoke billowing from the castle.

"Sora's in danger. The Order has already sent some Nobodies after him. Go, save him and bring him to a safe place. Come over, and I'll give you directions to wh-"

She didn't get to finish as an anguished cry ripped from Riku's throat.

"SORA!"

Riku dashed forward along the dusty path, while the mouse stayed behind, trying to make sense of what Naminé had just told him. As he ran, he summoned his weapon, another of the fabled keyblades.

It was comprised of two parallel blades extending from a traditional katana hilt. Light and dark they ran next to one another. One blade wings of an angelic nature, the other a demonic nature. From the hilt, a single cloth tassel hung, threads of white and black weaving in between one another. At the end, a crystal heart dangled and shook as Riku ran.

He only had one thought on his mind. _"I'm coming Sora…"_ He turned to Mickey as he reached the doors, looking for a source of courage as fear ran rampant in his mind.

Mickey quickly nodded, then whipped out his own gold and silver keyblade. He turned and gave a quick thanks to Naminé before dashing into the door as Riku pulled it open.

----------

Naminé watched as they entered, her face grinning. She wiped away a tear as her eyes shifted from worry to mischief. Her appearance blurred as white dress became black cloak, blond hair became gray hair, and she grew until in her place stood Zexion. He reached within the folds of his cloak, removing a thick, a bookmark inserted. He opened his book and took out the bookmark.

To the casual eye, they might have briefly caught a glimpse of a certain blond witch, before Zexion flipped the book to the hard cover, placing the bookmark in a special pocket. He put away the book, his grin never ceasing as he watched the people as they entered the castle. He continued to bask in the success of his task until he heard clapping behind him. He turned to find Axel behind him.

"Good job Zexion. I didn't know you could mimic and act so well. If I had known, I would have offered you my job at Castle Oblivion. You would have done well."

"Haha, I would have given up the opportunity. Couldn't stand that scythe wielding man. But they don't call me the Cloaked Schemer for nothing. Hey, by the way," He pointed back at the burning castle. "You actually set it on fire?"

"No, the fire's just in Marluxia and Larxene's rooms. The rooms are far enough apart that it makes the entire castle seem on fire. It does seem on fire, doesn't it? I guess I'm just too much a master of flames."

"Axel, you're still cocky as ever. Hm. The rooms of Marluxia and Larxene… How fitting. Those traitors."

"Haha. Technically, we are too."

"True… but our reasons are better. Wait, how will you keep Mickey and his friend out of the rooms and on the path towards Sora?"

"Well, you are the master of illusions, Zexion. Surprise me with your skill."

Zexion grinned at Axel before walking into a portal, quickly disappearing into the nighttime sky. Axel shook his head and laughed. "Zexion, you're just as cocky as ever, too."

Axel surrounded himself with a warp as he pulled his hood over his head. Their job was done here.

As his warp quickly dissipated into the nighttime sky, another set of portals appeared. Three beings stepped out, glancing around before seeing the castle. None of their faces could be seen, as they were hidden beneath the hoods of black cloaks. They paused, before starting to walk to the castle. One figure lifted his arm, speaking into a communicator hidden within his sleeve.

The XIII Order was coming for the keybearers.

----------

"**So, you are Sephiroth. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. The crew from the **_**Deadalus**_** has told me much of your achievements. It is unfortunate that we have to meet under such circumstances. The rest of the council is not able to come greet you, but please believe me when I say that you are most welcome here. Let me introduce to you Major Edward Elric, Major Victoire 'Grayson' Bloch, and myself, Brigadier General Dietrich Eindecker."**

"**Thank you sir. Kenshin and Soujirou have been kind enough to update me with what has been happening. I understand that the keyblade masters are gathering. In the meantime, is there any way I may be of help around here?"**

"**Given this shrimp's lack of growth, you'll probably end up baby-sitting him before we do anything."**

"**WHAT WAS THAT VICTOIRE?! WHO'D YOU CALL A SHRIMP SO SMALL YOU PITY ME BECAUSE I'M NOT HUMAN?!" **(AN- any FMA fans, hopefully this lives up to Ed's usual statements. And hopefully it's recognized as a reference to Envy ch 79 D )

"**Haha, calm down Elric. I'm sure Grayson was only jesting. And she said no such thing."**

"**No I wasn't, Eindecker. He's just as small as ever. If anything, I think a couple of those skirmishes have knocked him a couple inches shorter."**

"**LET ME AT HER!"**

"**Elric, stop. We're not in Amestris anymore, but I still expect you to represent what remains of our country. And you should show some chivalry. ****Kids these days.**** If Lancaster or the other two were here, it would be even worse. Now, Sephiroth, right now I don't think we have any pressing problems. We just need to wait for Mickey's return with the last keyblade master."**

"**You mean Sora? I see… Will they be coming back altogether?'**

"**Well, if they're not being followed, yes. Otherwise, Mickey will arrive separately from the other two. While we wait, we can bring you around and show you the facility. After all, it would be nice to meet some of the others."**

"**That would be nice. Sir, thank you for having me here."**

"**Haha, no need for such formalities. After all, I'm a lower rank than you were. Just call me the Stonewall Alchemist."**

"**Eindecker, that's even more formal."**

"**What was that, Elric? You want kitchen duty again? That can be arranged. And you're supposed to call me sir."**

"**THAT WAS VICTOIRE!"**

----------

AN: Wow.. 2nd chapter and Sora still hasn't appeared. But don't worry, he will next chapter.

BTW, this is somewhat AU. Or is it AT for alternate timeline? You won't see any Order members from CoM and, actually, none from KH2, with the exception of Xemnas, Roxas, Axel and Zexion. They'll be mentioned, as Demyx, Larxene and Marluxia already have been, but they won't make direct appearances.

For Zexion's weapon… I honestly despise the way it's presented in KH2:FM. I mean really, a book that flies around and gives you paper cuts? The only good thing was how it could trap people in an illusion, but still, they got cut by paper. There's so much potential for Zexion's weapon so… I took some liberties and gave him my own version of his weapon. You'll see more of its effects later, but for those of you who know Negima, think Albiero.

Quick detail. The words organization and order will probably be used interchangeably, but in my story, its technical name is the XIII Order.

And Dietrich Eindecker and Victoire Grayson are OC's. Don't worry if you didn't notice. You'll see them later in the story, so you didn't miss much.

As always, I'm open to review!


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